Young Talent Ready To Make Charge Toward Top At United States Olympic Trials

Reece Whitley is one of the young guns on the American scene who will make a push for a high finish at the United States Olympic Trials.

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Comments

I think that Michael Andrew will break 60 seconds in the 100 Breast. If he does so, at 17, would he be the youngest in history to do so?

KeithM
June 24, 2016

No, Akihiro Yamaguchi swam 59.5 a few weeks before his 18th birthday back in 2012.

Craig Lord
June 24, 2016

Would have to check the months and day, Markjs, but Japan’s Akihito Yamaguchi was 17 when he cracked the minute (2012), as was Wang Liuzhou* of China (2015)

Markj
June 24, 2016

Thanks for the input. I do not know of Michael Andrew’s birthdate, but think he recently turned 17?

aswimfan
June 25, 2016

In September last year, Wang Lizhuo went 59.79. He was still 16 yo (born in 1999).

commonwombat
June 25, 2016

Re “The Trademark”, I think John sums it up very fairly. If he can make any final, then that would be an acheivement.

His most realistic chance would appear to be the 100brs but he will almost certainly need a sub minute to do so. At 1.00.37, that is within range but neither is it a “matter of course” that he will do so at this meet.

Next most likely would be 50free but he would need to drop from 22.3 to around 22flat for this to be likely OR 100fly where he’s currently sitting at 52.3.

Whitley ??? Hhhmm !! Gotta say that what I saw at last year World Juniors didn’t exactly sell me on him. He is young and one cannot help thinking that his advance thus far has been largely based on reaching his current size so early.

At this point, a very much unfinished product and I think the next 2 years will tell us whether he will be (or will not be) everything that some people are hoping he will be.

The huge brouhaha among US swimming community that Michael Andrew created when choosing the “professional” route at a young age is really mystifying to me.
Thanks to NCAA, the US is probably the only significant sporting country that divide Olympics sports athletes into amateurs and professionals. In other countries, it is no big deal. For example, Kyle Chalmers still go to school and yet he signed big sponsorship deal with Adidas.

I agree with John that there are so many young talents in this OT. Maybe many more in quantity than the last two OT, but in terms quality the last OT won hands down thanks to Missy and Ledecky. Although now it seems there are more young male talents, maybe sniffing a chance seeing the sun is setting on Phelps Lochte Kingdom.

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